1 ` Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,

Listen to the Word of the Lord, O people of Israel, because He has something against the people of the land. “They are not faithful or kind, and no one in the land knows God.

2 S wearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery -- have increased, And blood against blood hath touched.

There is swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and sex sins. They are always hurting others, and there is one killing after another.

3 T herefore mourn doth the land, And weak is every dweller in it, With the beast of the field, And with the fowl of the heavens, And the fishes of the sea -- they are removed.

The land is filled with sorrow. Everyone who lives on it wastes away, together with the animals of the field and the birds of the sky. Even the fish of the sea are taken away.

4 O nly, let no one strive, nor reprove a man, And thy people as those striving with a priest.

“Yet let no one put blame or guilt upon another. For your people are like those who argue with the religious leader.

5 A nd thou hast stumbled in the day, And stumbled hath also a prophet with thee in the night, And I have cut off thy mother.

You will fall during the day, and the religious leaders will fall with you during the night. And I will destroy your mother.

6 C ut off have been My people for lack of knowledge, Because thou knowledge hast rejected, I reject thee from being priest to Me, And thou forgettest the law of thy God, I forget thy sons, I also!

My people are destroyed because they have not learned. You were not willing to learn. So I am not willing to have you be My religious leader. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I also will forget your children.

7 A ccording to their abundance so they sinned against Me, Their honour into shame I change.

“The more there were, the more they sinned against Me. I will change their shining-greatness into shame.

8 T he sin of My people they do eat, And unto their iniquity lift up their soul.

They feed on the sin of My people, and so they want them to sin more.

9 A nd it hath been, like people, like priest, And I have charged on it its ways, And its habitual doings I return to it.

The religious leaders will be punished the same as the people. I will punish them for what they have done.

10 A nd they have eaten, and are not satisfied, They have gone a-whoring, and increase not, For they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.

They will eat, but not have enough. They will do sex sins, but the number of their children will not grow because they have not been faithful to the Lord. The Worship of False Gods

11 W horedom, and wine, and new wine, take the heart,

“Their sinful ways and both old and new wine take away My people’s understanding.

12 M y people at its staff asketh and its rod declareth to it, For a spirit of whoredoms hath caused to err, And they go a-whoring from under their God.

They ask things of a wooden god and are answered by a stick of wood. A false spirit has led them the wrong way. They have not been faithful, and they have left their God.

13 O n tops of the mountains they do sacrifice, And on the hills they make perfume, Under oak, and poplar, and terebinth, For good its shade.

They give gifts in worship on the tops of the mountains and burn special perfume on the hills. They do this under oak, poplar and terebinth trees, because their shadow is pleasing. So your daughters are like women who sell the use of their bodies, and your brides do sex sins.

14 T herefore commit whoredom do your daughters, And your spouses commit adultery, I do not see after your daughters when they commit whoredom, And after your spouses when they commit adultery, For they with the harlots are separated, And with the whores they do sacrifice, A people that doth not understand kicketh.

I will not punish your daughters when they are like women who sell the use of their bodies, or your brides when they do sex sins. For the men themselves go with the sinful women to give gifts in worship to false gods. And people without understanding will be destroyed.

15 T hough a harlot thou, O Israel, Let not Judah become guilty, And come not ye in to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Aven, Nor swear ye, Jehovah liveth.

“Even if you, Israel, are like women who sell the use of their bodies, do not let Judah become guilty. Do not go to Gilgal or up to Beth-aven. And do not swear, ‘As the Lord lives!’

16 F or as a refractory heifer hath Israel turned aside, Now doth Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.

The people of Israel are strong-willed like a young cow. How then can the Lord feed them like a lamb in a large field?

17 J oined to idols Ephraim, let him alone.

Ephraim is joined to false gods. Let him alone.

18 S our their drink, They have gone diligently a-whoring, Her protectors have loved shame thoroughly.

Their strong drink is gone. They are like women who sell the use of their bodies all the time. Their rulers love shame.

19 D istressed her hath wind with its wings, And they are ashamed of their sacrifices!

The wind will carry them away, and they will be ashamed because they gave gifts to false gods.